Dr Midnight
Explorer
In the Ilstaes system, on the far edge of the outer rim of the known universe, thirty-six moons float around a central mass of asteroids so dense it creates gravity. These moons orbit around their gravitational core in a complex sphere of motion, always in motion, never colliding. The asteroids at the core spin so quickly that they never touch, even though the pull on them to the center of the “planet mass” is immense.
On Ilstaes IV, one of the six moons that can sustain most sentient life, the surface is covered in coniferous trees dressed in bluish needle-leaves. Here and there large mountains loom over the forested landscape. The horizon, as a result of the high Defrionic gas content in the upper atmosphere, glows orange-pink in the perpetual twilight that is the moon’s natural state, being without day or night.
Ilstaes IV hasn’t much to offer the few visitors it has. A small furrier trade is based on the rabbitlike Telmaks that inhabit the treetops. The wood is low in lead content and can be used in some kinds of construction. Mostly, Ilstaes IV is temperature mined. Temp miners live here is small camps and mine the cold depths of the rocky planet for rich veins of white heat that can be converted to other forms of energy and sold through their employer, the Techno Union.
It is at one of these camps that three Jedi recently arrived, traveling on the steerage class of a freighter/transport convoy. They earn their keep among the miners by doing menial labor and adjudicating between disputes among the miners. In return they’re given a place to sleep and food to eat- which, as the master continually reminds his padawan, is all they require.
In a clearing near one of the main camps, the master and the padawan are exploring the living Force as it flows around them.
“What is the nature of balance?”
Pock Sirus, padawan Jedi learner, stood on his hands with his eyes closed. Around him several large rocks floated in the air like soap bubbles. “Balance is light winning over darkness.”
Magnus Turon, Jedi Knight, stood nearby with a pensive frown on his face. He studied his student and saw that the boy wasn’t even beginning to break a sweat. “Not exactly.” He walked around the student and spoke, watching the rocks tumble through the air. “Winning over darkness is only balance if the darkness has been too powerful. Likewise, if the light side becomes too overbearing, balance can be darkness winning over light.”
“I don’t understand, master. What is balance, then?”
“This was my question to you.” Turon sat on a tuft of moss. “Clear your mind and let the answer rise to the surface.”
Pock scrunched his eyebrows as he thought. “Balance is… uh… a state of being not unbalanced.”
Magnus sighed. “Correct, yet not the answer I’m looking for. Again.”
Forty meters away, a primitive sort of court was in session. There was a dispute between two miners, a barada and a weequay. The plaintiff had asserted that the defendant broke into his temp-mine and stole from a rich vein of heat he’d discovered just the day before.
The defendant stated that his machines had drilled into the mine not seeing it ahead in the maps, as the plaintiff had not registered his machine at that time- he had been mining “off the books”. This was perfectly legal, and counted as overtime, but only a mine you’d discovered while on the Techno Union’s chronopunch was technically yours alone.
Mikau Me, Jedi Knight, oversaw the disagreement. The tall kaminoan listened patiently to both sides of the argument and waited until all discussion was finished, nodding and asking for more information when he could. In polite tones the Jedi spoke at last. “I understand that the defendant has wronged the plaintiff. Property has been ‘taken’. Yet, all this temp you mine goes to the Techno Union, and all you are left with is a commission for your vein. It is my judgment that the defendant shall share his commission for the vein evenly with the plaintiff when it is received.”
The defendant nodded, but the plaintiff’s face clouded. “This isn’t fair at all. The vein was mine!”
The kaminoan nodded his long, graceful neck and blinked politely. “One can truly own nothing. You shall both benefit for your find, and in this will you both find a small measure of peace, the only true worthwhile pursuit.”
“Republic scum. Come down from Coruscant and help him steal my vein, will you? I hope the Separatists rise up against tyrants like you, and soon!” The plaintiff stormed off. Mikau sighed and walked from the court-area, over to the clearing where the master helped the student study his lessons.
Pock looked up from his handstand. “How goes it, Mikau?”
“As well as ever. They do not respect my judgments unless it suits them.” Mikau folded his hands before him and watched the rocks circling the padawan in a slow current.
Magnus said “Take heart, friend. Judging the locals has to be easier than teaching this one the tenets of the Force.” Pock grinned at that, and Magnus smiled back.
Pock dropped to his feet and straightened. The rocks around him lowered gently to the ground. “When are we getting off this boring planet? I’m bored.”
“For one, my young padawan, it’s a moon, not a planet. For two, a Jedi does not seek excitement. A Jedi seeks…”
“Enlightenment, peace, all that,” Pock said, rolling his eyes. “I know.”
Mikau’s deep dark eyes contemplated the sky. “Most of a Jedi’s life is very dull to a child, Pock. The stories would have you believe that our duties are made up of flying all about the universe in ships, with daring adventures around every turn. It’s just not…” he paused as a light in the sky grew larger… it wasn’t a star. It was a ship, and it was coming down to the surface. As it grew closer it was clearly a CEC Consular-class space cruiser, chased in lines of deep brick-red, with three large sublight engines at its rear and a tubelike head.
A Republic ship.
The three Jedi watched as the cruiser landed softly at the edge of the clearing and the bay door opened. There, silhouetted against the harsh lights of the interior of the ship was a man with a cape. He wore a brightly colored shirt with large, draping sleeves. He had two blasters in holsters on his hips. He was handsome, save for a large jagged scar across the bridge of his nose that ran from his forehead down to his left cheek. His thick head of sandy blond hair flopped to one side and the wind tousled it as he looked over the surface of Ilstaes IV.
When his eyes adjusted to the darkness, he muttered “Of all the places to be.”
MORE TO COME…
